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No-Action Letters Summary Alert: 2014 Proxy Season      powered byeventVestor

Here is your NYSE Governance Services update on the 2014 proxy season No-Action Letters. You will receive a weekly No-Action Letters Summary Alert for the 2014 proxy season.

The SEC has accepted 29 No-Action requests and denied 8 of the 57 No-Action requests during the month of February, 2014. The remaining 20 No-Actions were withdrawn by the proponents.

For all 2014 meetings, the SEC has accepted 84 No-Action requests and denied 41 of the 167 No-Action requests, while 41 proposals were withdrawn by the proponents and with one proposal, the Company has determined that it will include the proposal in its 2014 Proxy Materials. Of the 84 accepted, twenty two were accepted on the basis that the proponent failed to respond to notice of defects. Of the 41 denied, 23 were denied where the request for exclusion was that proposal was materially false or misleading. John Chevedden was the leading proponent of shareholder proposals with a total of 19 proposals, followed by Kenneth Steiner with 13 and Qube Investment Management Inc. with 12 proposals.

If you have any questions, please contact Steve Walsh at 212.656.4519 or your Corporate Actions & Market Watch Specialist at 212.656.5414.

Recent No-Action Letters
Company Filing Date Proposal Category Proponent Status SEC Filing
Intel Corporation (INTC) February 21, 2014 Majority Voting Eric Rehm and Mary Geary Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) February 21, 2014 Miscellaneous American Baptist Home Mission Society Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ) February 21, 2014 Environmental Domini Social Investments and The Green Century Equity Fund Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
AT&T Inc. (T) February 21, 2014 Miscellaneous Neil Maizlish SEC Accepts NO ACT
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) February 21, 2014 Call Special Meeting James McRitchie Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) February 20, 2014 Independent Chair Bartlett Naylor Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) February 20, 2014 Miscellaneous Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, et al. Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
AT&T Inc. (T) February 20, 2014 Miscellaneous New York State Common Retirement Fund; Louise Rice; Sarah Nelson; Tamara Davis, John Silva and Shana Weiss Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Entergy Corporation (ETR) February 11, 2014 Environmental New York State Common Retirement Fund SEC Denies NO ACT
Mondelez International Inc. (MDLZ) February 11, 2014 Compensation - CEO Pay Ratio Qube Investment Management Inc. SEC Accepts NO ACT
 
No-Action Letters by Month: 2014 Proxy Season
 
Filing Month No-Action Requests Accepted by SEC Denied by SEC Withdrawn Others
October, 2013 2 1 1
November, 2013 4 4
December, 2013 18 7 4 6 1
January, 2014 86 44 28 14
February, 2014 57 29 8 20
Grand Total 167 84 41 41 1
 
No-Action Letters by Category: 2014 Proxy Season
 
Category No-Action Requests Accepted by SEC Denied by SEC Withdrawn Others
Accelerated Vesting 4 2 1 1
Call Special Meeting 11 8 1 2
Capital Structure 8 7 1
Compensation 9 7 2
Compensation - CEO Pay Ratio 9 8 1
Compensation - Gross-ups 1 1
Cumulative Voting 2 1 1
Declassify the Board 1 1
Director Independence 2 2
Election of Directors 1 1
Employment Rights 1 1
Environmental 17 3 5 9
Equity Compensation 9 5 3 1
Human Rights 8 7 1
Independent Chair 15 4 7 4
Lobbying 7 3 4
Majority Voting 11 7 2 2
Mergers and Acquisitions 1 1
Miscellaneous 27 12 1 14
Political Spending 7 5 1 1
Proxy Access 2 2
Voting Rules 2 1 1
Written Consent 12 1 11
Grand Total 167 84 41 41 1
 
No-Action Letters by Exclusion Basis: 2014 Proxy Season
 
Exclusion Basis No-Action Requests Accepted by SEC Denied by SEC Withdrawn Others
14a-8(b)(2)(i): Intends to continue to hold the securities 1 1
14a-8(b): Eligible record holder of the securities 17 7 7 3
14a-8(e)(2): Proposal received after the deadline 5 3 2
14a-8(f): Shareholder fails to respond to notice of defects 23 22 1
14a-8(h)(3): Failed to attend previous meeting or present the proposal 1 1
14a-8(i)(1): Improper under state law 3 1 2
14a-8(i)(10): Substantially implemented 26 8 6 12
14a-8(i)(11): Duplication 11 6 1 4
14a-8(i)(12): Resubmissions 5 3 1 1
14a-8(i)(13): Specific amount of dividends 4 4
14a-8(i)(2): Causes company to violate law 1 1
14a-8(i)(3): Materially false or misleading statements 31 4 23 3 1
14a-8(i)(4): Personal grievance or special interest 2 1 1
14a-8(i)(7): Deals with ordinary business operations 29 15 1 13
14a-8(i)(9): Conflicts with company 1 1
14a-8(i)(9): Conflicts with company's proposal 7 7
Grand Total 167 84 41 41 1
 
No-Action Letters by Proponent: 2014 Proxy Season
Proponent No-Action Requests Accepted by SEC Denied by SEC Withdrawn Others
Alex Friedmann 1 1
Miscellaneous
Amalgamated Bank's LongView Large Cap 500 Index Fund 1
1
Compensation - CEO Pay Ratio
American Baptist Home Mission Society 1
1
Miscellaneous
Bartlett Naylor 1
1
Independent Chair
Bernice Schoenbaum 1 1
Miscellaneous
Boston Common Asset Management 1
1
Environmental
C. Francois Swanepoel 1 1
Independent Chair
Calvert Social Index Fund and the Calvert VP S&P 500 Index Portfolio 2 1
Miscellaneous
1
Miscellaneous
Carol A. Reisen 1
1
Environmental
Central Laborers' Pension Fund 1 1
Political Spending
Christian Brothers Investment Services, Inc.; the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica; The Granary Foundation; the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (USA); Providence Trust; the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province; C 1
1
Miscellaneous
Christopher Reynolds Foundation, the Unitarian Universalist Association and Friends Fiduciary Corporation 1
1
Lobbying
Christopher S. McElroy Irrev Trust U/A 1
1
Environmental
City of Philadelphia Public Employees Retirement System 1
1
Independent Chair
Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio and First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC. 1 1
Political Spending
Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds 1 1
Independent Chair
CtW Investment Group 2 1
Lobbying
1
Proxy Access
Dale Wannen 1 1
Human Rights
Daniel Altschuler 1
1
Independent Chair
Daniel Ballin, Mia MacColin 1
1
Environmental
David Watt 1
1
Independent Chair
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society ofthe Episcopal Church 1 1
Human Rights
Domini Social Investments and The Green Century Equity Fund 1
1
Environmental
Donald Gilson 1 1
Compensation
Elena Baum 1 1
Environmental
Elton Shepherd 2 2
Equity Compensation (2)
Eric Rehm and Mary Geary 1
1
Majority Voting
Estella Salvatierra 1 1
Miscellaneous
GE Stockholders' Alliance, the Leo A. Drey Revocable Trust and Olga P. Strickland 1 1
Environmental
Harold G. Plog 1 1
Miscellaneous
Harrington Investments, Inc. 1
1
Miscellaneous
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Pension Benefit Fund 2 1
Equity Compensation
1
Equity Compensation
Jack and Ilene Cohen 1
1
Compensation
James Diehl 1
1
Miscellaneous
James McRitchie 4 1
Call Special Meeting
2
Independent Chair (1)
Proxy Access (1)
1
Call Special Meeting
James McRitchie and Myra K. Young 4 3
Call Special Meeting (1)
Majority Voting (1)
Voting Rules (1)
1
Independent Chair
James Penzak 5 5
Capital Structure (5)
Jing Zhao 1 1
Human Rights
John C. Harrington 1
1
Miscellaneous
John Chevedden 19 11
Accelerated Vesting (1)
Call Special Meeting (5)
Independent Chair (2)
Majority Voting (3)
8
Equity Compensation (2)
Independent Chair (3)
Voting Rules (1)
Written Consent (2)
Joyce Loving 1 1
Miscellaneous
Kenneth Steiner 13 4
Call Special Meeting (1)
Cumulative Voting (1)
Director Independence (1)
Equity Compensation (1)
8
Call Special Meeting (1)
Equity Compensation (1)
Majority Voting (1)
Written Consent (5)
1
Call Special Meeting
Leonid Zhevelyuk 1 1
Capital Structure
Margot Cheel and Park Foundation, Harrington Investments Inc. on behalf of Sarah Nelson 1
1
Miscellaneous
Margrit Vanderryn 1
1
Political Spending
Margrit Vanderryn, Francine Allen and Vanderryn International Corporation 1
1
Environmental
Marie-Claude Hessler-Grisel 1 1
Miscellaneous
Martin Harangozo 1
1
Cumulative Voting
Massachusetts Laborers' Pension Fund 1
1
Miscellaneous
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, the American Baptist Home Mission Society, Neva Goodwin, the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell New Jersey, the Needmor Fund and the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth 1
1
Miscellaneous
Myra K. Young 2 2
Majority Voting (1)
Written Consent (1)
Nathan Cummings Foundation 1
1
Miscellaneous
National Center for Public Policy Research 2 1
Political Spending
1
Environmental
National Center for Public Policy Research and James Mackie 1 1
Political Spending
Neal Renn 1 1
Miscellaneous
Neil Maizlish 2 1
Miscellaneous
1
Miscellaneous
New York City Employees' Retirement System , the New York City Fire Department Pension Fund , the New York City Teachers' Retirement System , the New York City Police Pension Fund and the New York City Board of Education Retirement System 1
1
Independent Chair
New York State Common Retirement Fund 4 2
Compensation (2)
1
Environmental
1
Lobbying
New York State Common Retirement Fund; Louise Rice; Sarah Nelson; Tamara Davis, John Silva and Shana Weiss 1
1
Miscellaneous
NorthStar Asset Management, Inc. Funded Pension Plan 1 1
Political Spending
Pamela Morgan 1
1
Environmental
Park Foundation 1 1
Environmental
Patricia R. Sax 1 1
Lobbying
Patrick Missud 1 1
Lobbying
Peter W. Lindner 1 1
Human Rights
Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order 1
1
Environmental
Qube Investment Management Inc. 12 12
Compensation (2)
Compensation - CEO Pay Ratio (8)
Director Independence (1)
Election of Directors (1)
Richard A. Albert 1 1
Miscellaneous
Robert Fredrich 1
1
Mergers and Acquisitions
Roberto Rodriguez Velez, Chamir Highley Melendez, Jerom L. Garffer 1
1
Capital Structure
Roy R. Sykes 1 1
Equity Compensation
Seth Heald 1
1
Miscellaneous
Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, et al. 1
1
Miscellaneous
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, The Needmor Fund, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, the Libra Fund and the Marianist Province 1
1
Miscellaneous
SNET Retirees Association, Inc. and Jane Banfield 1 1
Compensation
Social Justice Fund Northwest 1
1
Employment Rights
The Calvert Social Index Fund, The Calvert VP S&P 500 Index Portfolio and The Calvert Equity Income Fund 1
1
Environmental
The Church Pension Fund and The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church 1
1
Lobbying
The Firefighters' Pension System of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Trust 1 1
Compensation
The National Center for Public Policy Research 4 2
Miscellaneous (2)
1
Environmental
1
Political Spending
The Needmor Fund, The Russell Family Foundation, Everence Financial on behalf of the Praxis Value Index Fund, Zevin Asset Management, LLC on behalf of the Janet Axelrod 1997 Revocable Trust, Ellen D. Goldberg, lzetta Smith and Anne B. Lawson 1
1
Environmental
The Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque Iowa 1
1
Environmental
The Sustainability Group of Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge 1
1
Independent Chair
Theodore Bernat 1 1
Capital Structure
Thomas Strobhar 1 1
Human Rights
Trowel Trades S&P 500 Index Fund 1
1
Compensation - Gross-ups
UA W Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, Mercy Investment Services, Inc. and Catholic Health East 1
1
Human Rights
UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust 1 1
Human Rights
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, The Needmor Fund 1
1
Lobbying
United Brotherhood of Carpenters Pension Fund 4 2
Majority Voting (2)
1
Majority Voting
1
Majority Voting
William C. Wardlaw, III; the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (USA); the Benedictine Sisters of Boerne, Texas; the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica; the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia; Providence Trust and the Sisters of Charit 1 1
Human Rights
William J. Freeda 1
1
Compensation
William Steiner 8 1
Accelerated Vesting
6
Accelerated Vesting (1)
Declassify the Board (1)
Written Consent (4)
1
Accelerated Vesting
Grand Total 167 84
41
41
1
 
Earlier No-Action Letters
Company Filing Date Proposal Category Proponent Status SEC Filing
AutoNation, Inc. (AN) February 19, 2014 Equity Compensation International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Pension Benefit Fund Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Bank of America Corporation (BAC) February 19, 2014 Compensation New York State Common Retirement Fund SEC Accepts NO ACT
Boston Properties, Inc. (BXP) February 19, 2014 Compensation - CEO Pay Ratio Amalgamated Bank's LongView Large Cap 500 Index Fund Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF) February 19, 2014 Call Special Meeting John Chevedden SEC Accepts NO ACT
CME Group Inc. (CME) February 19, 2014 Environmental The Calvert Social Index Fund, The Calvert VP S&P 500 Index Portfolio and The Calvert Equity Income Fund Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
CVS Caremark Corporation (CVS) February 19, 2014 Miscellaneous The National Center for Public Policy Research SEC Accepts NO ACT
Dominion Resources, Inc. (D) February 19, 2014 Environmental Elena Baum SEC Accepts NO ACT
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) February 19, 2014 Call Special Meeting John Chevedden SEC Accepts NO ACT
AT&T Inc. (T) February 19, 2014 Human Rights Thomas Strobhar SEC Accepts NO ACT
Bank of America Corporation (BAC) February 18, 2014 Miscellaneous Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, the American Baptist Home Mission Society, Neva Goodwin, the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell New Jersey, the Needmor Fund and the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) February 18, 2014 Miscellaneous The National Center for Public Policy Research SEC Accepts NO ACT
Dominion Resources, Inc. (D) February 14, 2014 Miscellaneous Joyce Loving SEC Accepts NO ACT
Entergy Corporation (ETR) February 14, 2014 Environmental Park Foundation SEC Accepts NO ACT
The GEO Group, Inc. (GEO) February 14, 2014 Miscellaneous Alex Friedmann SEC Accepts NO ACT
Mondelez International, Inc. (MDLZ) February 14, 2014 Compensation The Firefighters' Pension System of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Trust SEC Accepts NO ACT
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) February 14, 2014 Compensation New York State Common Retirement Fund SEC Accepts NO ACT
Citigroup Inc. (C) February 12, 2014 Lobbying CtW Investment Group SEC Accepts NO ACT
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) February 12, 2014 Human Rights Jing Zhao SEC Accepts NO ACT
Nabors Industries Ltd. (NBR) February 12, 2014 Independent Chair City of Philadelphia Public Employees Retirement System Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) February 12, 2014 Political Spending The National Center for Public Policy Research Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Dominion Resources, Inc. (D) February 11, 2014 Environmental Christopher S. McElroy Irrev Trust U/A SEC Denies NO ACT
Mondelez International Inc. (MDLZ) February 11, 2014 Compensation - CEO Pay Ratio Qube Investment Management Inc. SEC Accepts NO ACT
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (NDAQ) February 11, 2014 Miscellaneous Calvert Social Index Fund and the Calvert VP S&P 500 Index Portfolio Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) February 11, 2014 Miscellaneous Christian Brothers Investment Services, Inc.; the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica; The Granary Foundation; the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (USA); Providence Trust; the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province; C Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
ACE Limited (ACE) February 10, 2014 Director Independence Qube Investment Management Inc. SEC Accepts NO ACT
Dominion Resources, Inc. (D) February 10, 2014 Environmental Pamela Morgan SEC Denies NO ACT
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) February 10, 2014 Majority Voting United Brotherhood of Carpenters Pension Fund SEC Denies NO ACT
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) February 10, 2014 Written Consent Myra K. Young SEC Accepts NO ACT
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) February 10, 2014 Political Spending NorthStar Asset Management, Inc. Funded Pension Plan SEC Accepts NO ACT
Moody's Corporation (MCO) February 10, 2014 Miscellaneous Calvert Social Index Fund and the Calvert VP S&P 500 Index Portfolio SEC Accepts NO ACT
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) February 10, 2014 Environmental Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Bank of America Corporation (BAC) February 7, 2014 Capital Structure Theodore Bernat SEC Accepts NO ACT
The Dow Chemical Company (DOW) February 7, 2014 Written Consent Kenneth Steiner SEC Denies NO ACT
3M Company (MMM) February 7, 2014 Compensation - CEO Pay Ratio Qube Investment Management Inc. SEC Accepts NO ACT
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) February 7, 2014 Miscellaneous Nathan Cummings Foundation SEC Denies NO ACT
General Electric Company (GE) February 6, 2014 Environmental GE Stockholders' Alliance, the Leo A. Drey Revocable Trust and Olga P. Strickland SEC Accepts NO ACT
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) February 6, 2014 Human Rights Peter W. Lindner SEC Accepts NO ACT
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (NDAQ) February 6, 2014 Call Special Meeting Kenneth Steiner Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) February 6, 2014 Voting Rules John Chevedden SEC Denies NO ACT
General Electric Company (GE) February 5, 2014 Mergers and Acquisitions Robert Fredrich SEC Denies NO ACT
General Electric Company (GE) February 5, 2014 Miscellaneous Neal Renn SEC Accepts NO ACT
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) February 5, 2014 Equity Compensation International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Pension Benefit Fund SEC Accepts NO ACT
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) February 5, 2014 Miscellaneous Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, The Needmor Fund, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, the Libra Fund and the Marianist Province Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
DST Systems, Inc. (DST) February 4, 2014 Independent Chair Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds SEC Accepts NO ACT
Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) February 4, 2014 Political Spending Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio and First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC. SEC Accepts NO ACT
Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) February 3, 2014 Lobbying The Church Pension Fund and The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) February 3, 2014 Miscellaneous Neil Maizlish Proponent Withdraws NO ACT
 

If you are interested in the No-Action requests acted upon by the SEC prior to February, 2014 please contact Steve Walsh at 212 656-4519 or swalsh@nyx.com.
 


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